Surgical clamp



July 10, 1962 E. l. sELTzER 3,043,308

SURGICAL CLAMP Filed April 22, 1960 32 Flea 44 INVENTOR.

EDWARD l. SELTZER ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,043,393 SURGICALCLAMP Edward I. Seltzer, 507 Cole Ave., Providence, RJ. Filed Apr. 22,i960, Ser. No. 24,092 2 Claims. (Cl. 12S-346) The present inventionrelates generally to a novel and improved clamp, and more particularlyto a clamp adapted for use during surgical operative procedure.

-A primary object of the instant invention is the provision of a clampadapted to be used in the manner hereinafter to be described so thatblood may continue to flow uninterrupted through a punctured orotherwise damaged blood vessel in the human body while a graft is beingsewn lor otherwise applied to the damaged vessel.

Another important object of my invention is the provision of Ia clampoperable to quickly and effectively clamp a blood vesselor the like to acylindrical tubing.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a surgical clamphaving means for readily varying the clamping pressure which is eiected.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a clamp of thecharacter described wherein once the desired clamping pressure yiseffected, the clamp may be released without any lessening or variationof the clamping pressure, thereby freeing the hands of personnel whonormally have to hold surgical clamps of the type known in the prior Afurther object is the provision of a surgical clamp which is simple tomanufacture, .easy to use, and highly effective in the accomplishment ofits intended functions.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will lbecomeapparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered inconnection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated byme yfor carrying out my invention:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing a pair of clamps constructed inaccordance with the instant invention in use;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View, on an enlarged scale, of one of my clampsper se;

FIG. 3 is an end'view, on an enlarged scale, looking in from the left inFIG. 2; and

FIG, 4 is an end view, on an enlarged scale, looking in from the rightin FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. l, a pairof clamps constructed in accordance with the instant invention aregenerally indicated at 10. The clamps 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1, areshown in use during surgical operative procedure. More specifically, agraft 12 is being connected to a pair of blood vessel sections 14 and16, it being understood that the blood vessel Wall intermediate sections14 and 16 has been punctured or otherwise damaged, thereby necessitatingthe introduction of graft 12. While the graft 12-is being applied, it isdesirable that blood be permitted to continue its ow through the vesselbetween sections 14 and 16. In order to accomplish this, a llexible,non-toxic plastic tube 18, such as of polyvinyl, is positioned betweenvessel sections 14 and 16 and is clamped thereto. Thus, blood maycontinue its ilow uninterrupted by virtue of the fact that it passesthrough the tube 1S while the graft 12 is being applied. Once the graft12 has been completely applied, a slit is made in vthe vessel wall andVthe flexible tubing 18 is extracted therethrough, after which the slitis sewed up, leaving lthe repaired vessel ready for normal use.

In accomplishing the above operative procedure, it is important that asecure, leak-proof seal be eiected when the vessel sections are clampedto the interconnecting plastic tubing. The surgical clamps presently inuse for "ice this purpose have proven to be generally unsatisfactory inthis respect, since the clamping action is normally eifected by means ofthe resilience of the clamp itself, whereby a tight, leak-proof seal isvirtually impossible to attain. Also, where spring clamps of this typeare used, continued usage usually results in a diminishing of theresilient action of the clamp, whereby it becomes less eifective. Otherclamps of this type in use sometimes require that the clamp becontinually grasped and manipulated by certain personnel, therebyproviding a cumbersome and awkward situation. By using a clampconstructed in accordance with the instant invention, all of theforegoing disadvantages inherent -in prior art devices of this type areovercome.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 4, it will be seen that the clamp 10comprises an elongated tube 20, externally threaded adjacent one end 1asat 22, and having a pair of spaced openings 24 separated by an integralbar 26 which extends thereacross. A cap member indicated generally at 2Scomprises a cylindrical lside wall 30 internally threaded as at 32. Cap28 additionally comprises an end wall 34 having a pair of spacedopenings 36 therein, said end wall being rotatable with respect tocylindrical side wall 30. This may be accomplished by any desirablemeans, although I prefer to peen over the edge of wall 30 as at 37 inorder to rotatably maintain end wall 34 in its assembled position. Theouter surface of cap 28 is knurled as at 38 in order that a better gripmay be imparted thereto when the cap is Ibeing turned, all in Ia mannerhereinafter to be described. Tube 20 and cap 28 may be constructed ofany suitable rigid material, although I prefer to utilize stainlesssteel.

ln operation and use, it will be understood that oap 2Sl is adapted tothreadedly engage tube 20, as clearly shown in FIG. 2. An elongatedflexible cord 40, such as umbilical tape or the like, is threadedthrough the device 10, and, as will be seen from FIG. 2, the cord 40extends through the openings 24 Iand 36 at opposite ends of the deviceand is knotted exteriorly of wall 34, as at 42, whereby one large loopis formed. The portion of the loop which extends exteriorly of bar 26,as shown at 44 in FIG. 2, functions as the clamping loop, it beingapparent that as the cap member 2S is unthreaded yWith respect to tube20, the loop 44 will be tightened. Thus, once the Iart-icle to beclamped has been inserted through loop 44, it is simply necessary tounthread cap 28 until the desired clamping pressure is obtained.

When using the clamp 10 in the manner above described, the knot 42 willnormally not be tied until the approximate size of loop 44 has beendetermined, this, of course, being determined by the diameter of thearticle to be clamped.V Once the approximate size of loop 44 has -beenobtained, knot 42 is tied, and then a relatively small degree ofunthreading movement yof cap 2S will revsult in the application ofclamping pressure. Thus, it will be `seen that my clamp 10 is quicklyand easily adjustable to clamp a wide variety of different diameterarticles, and at the same time, the clamping pressure may be easilylessened `or increased until the desired degree of pressure is obtained.Once the desired degree of pressure is obtained, the device 10 may becompletely released whereupon it will simply hang in position while atthe same time continuing to perform its clamping function. Theflexibility of cord 40, plus the fact that it almost completelyencircles the circumference of the article being clamped, cooperate toinsure that a complete and elective seal is obtained completely aroundthe diameter of the clamped article. This, `of course, is of extremeimpor-tance in connection with surgical yoperative procedure of the typehereinbefore described.

The rotatability of end wall 34 is important since, without thisfeature, the cord 40 would become tangled and however, turning movementof cap 28 will result only inY turning ofthe cylindrical side wall 3G,it being apparent that end Wall 34 will not move appreciably, wherebyopenings 36 therein [and the openings 24 at the opposite end of theclamp 10 will remain in `substantial alignment, and hence there will beno tendency for the cord to twist or While there is 4shown and describedherein certainspecific Ystructure embodying the invention, it will bemanifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications andrearrangements of the parts may be made Without departing from thespirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the sameis not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described exceptinsofar as rindicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical clamp comprising an elongated, openended, rigid tube, oneend of said tube lbeing externally threaded, the other end of said tubehaving means dividing said end. into two distinct openings, a cap memberhaving a cylindrical, internally threaded side wall and an end Wallhaving a pair of spaced openings therein, said end wall being rotatablewith respect to said side wall, said cap making threaded engagement withsaid tube, whereby the overall length of the assembly may beappreci-ably varied by threadedly manipulating said cap and tube.

2. The surgical clamp of claim 1 further characterized -in that ailexible cord dening a loop is `associated therewith, 'said cord havingits free ends connected exteriorly of said rotatable end Wall, each ofsaid cord ends extendling through dileren-t of the spaced openings insaid rotatable end wall and continuing completely through said rigidtube and around said dividing means, whereby the loop portion whichextends exteriorly from said dividing means maybe tightened byunthreading said cap with respect -to said tube. Y Y

Y References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

